Teaching - addition to the basic model?

[Gus]

Wondered (and it may have been mentioned elsewhere) if there is a way that dancers could be coached inside the usual class environment. At the moment the instructor teaches the lessons then, if you are lucky, dances with a few people. If you look round the floor during freestyle the chances are you'll see a fair number of poeple who could benefit from just little bit of advice, e.g. steping back to far, bouncing, hand at wrong height, overanticipating. A 'roving' instructor could possibly add value by touring the floor, gently interrupting (maybe) and adding words of advice and demonstrating?

Good idea / Bad idea?

[Caro]

Although I do think it would be extremely valuable to introduce some way of coaching during / after the class, when I read this:

A 'roving' instructor could possibly add value by touring the floor, gently interrupting (maybe) and adding words of advice and demonstrating?

I go...

Several reasons for that:
- freestyle is freestyle, that's when you're supposed to enjoy social dancing and not worry that much about all the stuff you do wrong...
- not nice to interrupt a dance if you are having fun, especially to hear feedback which usually although a great thing to receive is also a tad painful for the ego (especially in front of partner / the rest of the dancefloor )
- personally I would feel like 'being judged' and would be very stressed whenever the 'roving' teacher comes near me...

Again, a good way to spoil all the fun, which freestyle (in a weekly class environmnent) is all about IMOFI.

[JiveLad]

One experience that I had, was that when I was a beginner, one of the crew (not a taxi) - at St. Albans would occassionally give me a bit of gentle advice. He could see that I was really keen, coming both Wed and Thurs - and helped me (unprompted) with some basic things (including me making giant steps!). Sometimes, he would 'borrow' a woman and he would show me what he meant in the foyer - so we might take 5 mins to do that. For me - it had to be that - someone just saying something and gone in 30 secs would be no use (for me).

We had already built up a bit of trust over the weeks - so that was ok - if it was someone I didn't know, I would probably be a bit more uncomfortable with that.

[Genie]

I would say that interrupting a dance would be a no no! Definately goes against the grain of a social dance. But perhaps technique taxis who would dance with you and give you advice if you want it would be nice. I always feel guilty rushing over to the teachers to get advice. Their time is always so precious. And there are beginners who take up more of their time. I'd love the chance to chat to a teacher and improve my dancing, but I feel once you reach a certain stage in the intermediate level, it's so very difficult to get that help.

[ducasi]

- freestyle is freestyle, that's when you're supposed to enjoy social dancing and not worry that much about all the stuff you do wrong...

During the class, a teacher "on the floor" might be useful, but during freestyle feedback should only be given when asked for.

[Dreadful Scathe]

Good idea / Bad idea?

Not really a bad idea within reason. As long as everyone is quite clear that this will happen; for a set amount of time (say 30 minutes or so) or, and this will probably work better, in a set area. i.e. If you have 2 rooms, people dancing in room 2 can benefit from the advice and the normal freestyle can continue unmolested in room 1.

[David Bailey]

A 'roving' instructor could possibly add value by touring the floor, gently interrupting (maybe) and adding words of advice and demonstrating?

Good idea / Bad idea?

I vote for "Worst idea in the history of bad ideas"

If you had to think of a single thing to disrupt beginner retention numbers, "criticising their social dancing" would be hard to beat. And "high beginner retention" is pretty much the key business objective of most MJ operators.

Don't get me wrong - in the right context (workshops / specialist sessions), it's a good idea, constructive criticism and peer review is very useful feedback. But in a normal MJ night, it'd be a disaster/

[Mary]

Roving intructor during freestyle - bad idea. However, maybe a designated time-slot - say 15 minutes - in a corner or another room for a critique session might go down well. Some people do like to know how they are doing and if they are improving.

M

[tsh]

As described, bad idea because it seems too intrusive. A suggestion that beginners should feel free to ask more experienced dancers for advice if there's something they don't understand, or something that doesn't work would maybe be useful. This seems the safest way of prompting some feedback for anyone who wants to progress.

[Twirlie Bird]

Love the idea of a roving teacher on the floor during the class. There are many times people make silly little mistakes that if corrected would make things so much easier for them. The teacher on the stage doesn't do this as it just wouldn't work for them to do so. They are teaching the moves to a class in general. If there was somebody on the floor they could quickly help people without embarrassing them.

As for freestyle. This is a no no I would hate to feel like I was being watched and judged and my dancing would go seriously down hill. If I want feedback on my dancing and pointers to improve I will ask people whose opinion I value.

Twirlie Bird
-x-

[Gus]

Love the idea of a roving teacher on the floor during the class. ........As for freestyle. This is a no no I would hate to feel like I was being watched and judged and my dancing would go seriously down hill.

The fundamental part of the suggestion was the use of a second instructor. As to where and when the feedback was given, thats another matter. Help during the class could be good. However, its during the freestyle between the two classes when I often notice most of the points I'd like to feed back. I agree with the fundamental point that feedback would need to be solicited. Most people feel resistant to unsolicted feedback. Maybe the instructor just makes notes and feeds back at a convinienet point later in the night.

If I want feedback on my dancing and pointers to improve I will ask people whose opinion I value.

And a trained instructor isn't a valued opinion? One of the biggest issues I have is that some of the people who give guidance to other dancers are the worst dancers ... they just know lots of 'loud' moves but have no ideas of the principles of movement, balance, style etc (YES ... I know thre are some major exceptions to this very general rule).

If you can't take advice from your instructor ... then who can you trust (OK ... that probably a whole different debate)

[jive_me]

There have been several moments when I can see that the class might have benefited from having someone (perhaps not neccessarily an instructor?) observing in a class situation. In a class that is say, 90% beginners, a) you can't spend forever going over moves and b) from the stage you can't exactly just go "oi you, you're not doing that correctly". However many times you stress a point someone will get it wrong. Like I say, at times I can see how this set-up could work.

xXx

[Gadget]

I'm against having roving teachers in freestyle option, even if it's just "taking notes for later critique".

During the main class I can see a roving teacher's instructions getting in the way of the main teacher's instructions.

I think that if this was to be a viable option, then perhaps a time slot (like between the classes in a certain area of the floor {assuming it's big enough}) would be a good place for it?

[kiwichook]

And what about if the teaching appears not to be that good anyway?
Some studios do put inexperienced, dull, lifeless no personality mono-toned characters in charge of their classes.... the type who fail to pick up that people aren't learning or liek their style of teaching....

So what do people think in that situation, about having more experienced dancers helping in lower levelled classes? That is, those who know the moves being taught up on a 'remote' stage quietly helping those dancers who haven't quite got the move when they are next in line when people move round?

Thoughts please on this idea/ problem?

[jive_me]

That sounds to me like a good way to undermine the instructor? If I went to a class where they had people going over important points that the teacher could not I'd think twice about going again.

Yes, perhaps it is the teacher's fault if they aren't picking up that the class isn't learning, but if they're inexperienced?

xXx

[David Bailey]

So what do people think in that situation, about having more experienced dancers helping in lower levelled classes?

Isn't that what Taxi dancers do anyway?

[MartinHarper]

And what about if the teaching appears not to be that good anyway?

Don't go.